Sea Scooter Incident off Eilat Raised Security Alert After Jordan Border Approach

i24 aired unusual footage on Wednesday of a sea scooter that triggered a security incident off Eilat, amid warnings by Shin Bet chief David Zini about a possible Oct. 7-style infiltration attempt against the city. In the video, the craft is seen in daylight moving toward Navy fighters, ignoring calls to stay away and not stopping even after warning shots were fired. Concern grew because it was unclear whether anyone was riding it.

The incident took place about three weeks ago off Eilat’s coast. Lookouts identified a suspicious vessel approaching from the Jordanian border, and a naval force was dispatched. At first, the troops tried to determine whether it was a drifting jet ski or a more serious event, but when the craft continued to disregard warnings, fire was opened and it withdrew after several minutes.

After the incident, authorities suspected the vehicle may have been unmanned. According to an Israeli source, Jordanian authorities are holding a suspect connected to the case, although the extent of that person’s involvement has not been determined.

Since the episode, Eilat has remained on higher alert. The newly revealed footage adds to security concerns about possible infiltration or attack attempts by the Houthis or other terrorist groups through the southern border area.